Syracuse volleyball falls in season opener to Cincinnati
By Zac Ventola | @ZacVentola
Urbana-Champaign, IL – Syracuse volleyball (0-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) opened its season with a 3-0 loss to Cincinnati (2-0, 0-0 Big 12 Conference). SU kept the first two sets close, before being blown out in the third.
The Orange headed into the match with an opportunity to beat the Bearcats for the first time since 2005.
SU’s roster has an entirely new look from last season. Only one player returned from 2025’s roster, outside hitter Marie Laurio. The sophomore finished Saturday’s match with 13 kills, tied for a team-high with outside hitter Kiernan Stamey.
Despite trailing by as much as five midway through the first set, Syracuse rallied back to bring it to extra points. Stamey led the way through the set with five kills. However, it was not quite enough to finish the job, with an attack error on Orange freshman middle blocker Emma Faerber ended the set in the Bearcats’ favor, 27-25.
The second set played out similarly, up until the end. SU trailed by as much as five before gaining steam to tie Cincinnati at 18 points. However, Syracuse was unable to continue that momentum.
The Bearcats finished the second set with a 25-18 win, after taking seven of the set’s final eight points. The Orange’s lone score came via a kill by Stamey.
While SU fought a tight race in the first set and through the majority of the second, the third was an entirely different story.
The Bearcats dominated the Orange, winning the set 25-11 and completing the 3-0 sweep.
Throughout the match, the ‘Cuse struggled to cover the middle of the court. Cincinnati dominated the open space, finishing the day with 42 kills as a team, compared to Syracuse’s 33.
Away from the open space, the Orange also struggled to return the Bearcats’ hits. Syracuse finished with a staggering 21 errors, compared to Cincinnati’s eight.
SU still seeks its first win since last October. Syracuse’s next opportunity to do so comes on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. against Illinois (0-1, 0-0 Big Ten Conference).
For coverage of the Orange vs. Fighting Illini and the rest of Syracuse Volleyball’s season, follow @ZacVentola and @CitrusTVSports on X.
